Fresh from his victory at March’s Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, yokozuna Kakuryu, will head into May’s Summer tourney atop the latest rankings, the Japan Sumo Association announced on Monday.

After an injury-plagued 2017, the 32-year-old Mongolian has put together two solid tournaments this year despite dealing with a right-hand injury. Kakuyru has never won more than nine bouts in each of the grand tournaments immediately following his previous three championships, and winning a fifth in the 15-day slugfest at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan starting on 13 May  should be more difficult still.

Hakuho, whose 40 makuuchi division championships are the most in history, and fellow yokozuna Kisenosato are expected to rejoin the fray after they both sat out the March tourney with injuries. Hakuho was out in March with a toe injury, while Kisenosato has been hampered by damage he suffered to his left pectoral muscle and arm in winning the March 2017 tourney.

On the west, mountainous Mongolian Ichinojo is back at sekiwake for the first time since July 2015 after going 9-6 as a komusubi in March.